Sweet Smile
by Hime-chii o.O
Summary: I never thought I harnessed any feeling towards him, but only did I realize this after 3 years. Seeing him again brought back a whiplash of memories, but seeing her brings the waterfalls down from my eyes. MitsuAki and MinaAki


**Here's another P3P story! This time it's a Akihiko and Mitsuru story, but it's kind of a hurt story, so if you don't want to be disappointed, I suggest you don't read it.**

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><p>It was during the 2nd week of October when I had met him. My father decided to enter me in this organization that dealt with Apathy Syndrome. A rare disease where people suffer from a debilitating level of apathy. When it strikes the inflicted will collapse in a heap where ever they happen to be and become unable to move, feed, or care for themselves. He thought it was a good start and experience until I take the company under my wing so he contacted Shuji Ikutsuki, the chairperson of the organization and let me join.<p>

I was quietly sitting on the comfortable coach of the lounge, Hamlet in my lap, not the least bit interested to look up when I heard the door open and then close with a click. At the corner of my eye, I saw a silver-haired boy take his place on the sofa in front of me making himself busy by pulling out red-boxing gloves and polishing them.

The moment was spent in silence and neither one of us even bothered to look up to get ourselves acquainted. It was only then that we heard footsteps descending from the stairs that we decided to look up only to be greeted by Ikutski's pleasant smile.

I closed my book to be polite and greeted him with a good morning.

"Ah Mitsuru. You came a little bit early." Ikutsuki had said when he saw me sitting comfortably at the couch. He turned his attention towards the silver-haired boy and walked to the side of his chair. "Let me introduce the two of you. This is Akihiko Sanada. Akihiko, this is Mitsuru Kirijo."

I nodded my head to acknowledge him, but didn't say anything after that. I was utterly surprised when he gave out a smile to me. Well, some people did do that, but I was just surprise to actually see joy? in his eyes. Joy of having to meet me? Well whatever it was, he seemed happy enough.

Of course, the other members flooded in a few minutes after our introduction, but I was not the one to create small talk unless it was about business. So basically I stayed silent through the whole meeting and only spoke when Ikutsuki called out to me to ask for my opinion.

The weeks went by and I was growing attached to the other members and the organization itself. We have been to other places in Japan to check the spread of the disease and tried everything in our power to help cure them by giving them special medicine. With all the meetings that I have been attending, I had managed to get closer to Akihiko and Shinjiro somehow, but still a bit closer with Akihiko.

_"I could hear your stomach grumbling. You should eat."_ He had said during one of our meetings.

I was quietly sitting at the couch, hand on my stomach, trying hard to suppress my hunger. I never had the chance to eat lunch because the student council held an emergency meeting during lunch break. And I rushed all the way to the meeting place of the organization that I didn't have the time to buy a snack for myself.

My stomach had grumbled loudly and I prayed that none of the club members heard it. I tried to concentrate on the meeting, but with an empty stomach, I can't.

I was on the verge of losing it when I saw a sandwich in front of my face. I didn't want to take the sandwich, but I had to. I was hungry.

I timidly took the sandwich and started eating feeling a bit happy that Akihiko cared for my well-being. He gave out a satisfied smile when he saw me take it from him and went back to listen to Ikutsuki. Little did he know that I was sneaking glances at him, silently thanking him for saving me.

_"Are you two dating?"_ A club member asked me when the two of us were alone.

"What?" I had replied obviously baffled by the question.

"You and Akihiko-senpai. Are you guys dating?" She repeated her eyes locked to the ground. I know that look and I'm not that stupid to not realize that she harvests feelings for Akihiko.

I laughed and she was surprised that I did. "Akihiko and I are merely good friends. Something in the lines of best friends, so you don't have to worry." I told her matter-of-factly.

There was relief in her face, but I could still see the doubt in her eyes.

It was true, what I said to her. I only treat him like a brother and nothing more. When people would ask who he was to me, I would say a best friend, even if I never really consulted him about it and he never said so himself, I could actually feel it.

A few more months went by and we drew even closer. He would call me at my cellphone during 12 in the morning and wouldn't allow me to go to sleep until he fell asleep first. I was happy that he wanted my attention, but sometimes I just need to get some rest especially with my busy schedule and all the extra load on my back.

Aside from the late-night phone calls, we would usually spend time before and after the meetings. We would go to Hagakure to eat and take quiet strolls at Naganaki Shrine. Every moment spent with him was a treasure I kept near my heart. Speculation aroused in the organization that the two of us were dating, but it didn't falter our relationship just one bit. We were still close and we still talked to each other like we normally do. Of course what happened between us wasn't always too good. Besides, he was attending a different school while I was stuck in Gekoukkan High learning things that an "heiress" does.

_"I'm sending you out of the country for the summer."_ My dad had announced during dinner.

I didn't turn down the offer and gladly accepted it. I was to leave on the weekend when classes finally ended. I left without saying goodbye to the organization or to Akihiko himself.

I studied hard and attended lots of seminars during my stay out of Nihon and when I finally came back, the first thing that I did was attend a meeting of the organization. I was expecting to see him there, but he wasn't.

I asked Yukari, a member I was close with, to his whereabouts. She told me that he left for Boxing Camp a few weeks ago and won't be back until after 4 months. Those months were spent normally and I didn't even anticipate the day of his return. Although inside, I wanted him to return so bad because I want to see his face after 6 long months.

_"He's returning tomorrow."_ Yukari told me while we were waiting for Ikutsuki to come downstairs to start the meeting.

"Well good for him." I answered fumbling through the papers in my hands.

"Aren't you excited?" Yukari asked me.

I sighed and looked up to meet Yukari's eyes. "If he returns then that's great because the members of this organization is slowly diminishing." I said.

Him returning was none of my concerns right now. A rival of our organization had turned up and some of our members had transferred because they said our little club was starting to look old. Loyal members were the only one who stayed of course.

Yukari left me to my work and probably gave up on getting to me. According to her, I've been really hard to reach ever since I returned from my little trip. She said, I was more business-like and that I have turned a little cold. I can't blame her and admit that I did, but that is because I wanted to impress my father and be ready to take the company from him. I didn't want to end up a failure after what he did for the Kirijo Group.

_"Welcome back Akihiko-senpai!"_ The members had greeted when he first stepped into the doors of our organization.

I looked up from my book to meet him and was fairly surprised at the change. He had grown taller and much more mature, in fact he was strikingly handsome now. Not that he wasn't attractive when we first met, it's just that I never found him attractive before. He met my eyes and for a minute I felt a spark run down my spine.

"Welcome back Akihiko." I greeted him without standing up.

He stared at me for a long time and finally broke out into a huge smile. "Would you look at that. It's Mitsuru." He remarked taking a seat in front of me. "How have you been?" He asked when he was finally comfortable on his seat.

Everything was like the last time, but their was a nagging feeling inside of me saying that it wasn't. We may talk like the usual, but there was a gap in our relationship. He no longer offered to buy me food after meetings, no longer gave me snacks when he heard my stomach growl and he doesn't sit next to me all the time like when he used to.

He changed a lot. Even if he was still the Akihiko, there was something about him that was off. I didn't talk to him about it because I no longer want him to be intimidated by me. We both kept our distances and talked every now and then, but never hung around each other for a long period of time.

I never felt the need to fix this gap in our relationship and decided to just leave it be considering my very busy schedule.

_"I'm going away."_ I told Yukari.

"I understand." She replied with a sad tone.

My father had just died from an accident and as everyone expects, I'm taking over the company. But according to my dad's top executive, I am still inexperienced. That is why they are sending me overseas the minute I graduate out of High School. I didn't tell anyone else about my fate and told Yukari to keep quiet herself.

_"It's for you."_ My butler handed me the phone.

It was already 11 in the evening and I still couldn't sleep. It was the first time that I spent Christmas without my father. Yukari had invited me to the organization's Christmas party, but I denied the offer partly because I never showed my face to the club ever since my father's death and because I wanted to rest.

I took the phone from my butler and pressed it on my ear. "Hello?"

"Mitsuru?" A familiar voice cracked on the other line.

"Akihiko?" I asked, surprise present in my tone.

"I was wondering if you're gonna attend the party tomorrow?" His voice sounded melancholic. Hearing his voice on the phone after several months I can't help but feel this ache in my chest.

"I... no." I answered.

"Oh. I see. Goodbye then." He muttered and hung up.

I sat there mortified with the phone still pressed in my ear. All those years together, all those moments spent. It was only then that I realized it. "I'm in love with him..." I muttered finally pulling the phone away from my ear.

After that, I spent sleepless nights reminiscing all the moments we had spent together and all the things he did for me. I wanted to tell him my feelings before it was too late.

So one promising night, I called him. He answered. And...

"I love you." Was all I said.

There was a moment of silence. "I love you too?" Was his reply.

My face fell. It wasn't a statement. It was a question. He didn't seem sure of himself.

"No. Only I could be the one to love here." I replied before ending the call. I felt like a heavy burden was lifted from my chest and even if he was unsure of himself, I was glad I told him how I felt before I went away. Even if we won't end up being together, I would still love him no matter what.

So after a few days I left and went overseas. I never had communication with the organization ever since, except Yukari who stayed as my friend. I didn't return for a year and when I finally did, all thoughts of him was out of my mind.

_"Come on! It's just one day. Please?"_ Yukari begged on the phone. She was persuading me to attend a seminar that involved the organization that I used to be in. It turns out that our organization had developed branches and had grown larger during my time away.

"Okay." I replied finally giving in.

"Yay! See you tomorrow then." She quipped.

Tomorrow came and a huge crowd gathered into the same place. I saw familiar faces and each of them greeted me and asked about my well-being. I replied to each and every one of them. And during one of my conversations, I saw him enter the premises. My heart skipped a beat and every single drop of my feelings had hit me right back in the face.

I was about to approach him when a girl, petite and beautiful, entered after him. I could have mistaken her as another member, but she took hold of his hand when she was right beside him. He gave out a sweet smile and intertwined their fingers.

My face twisted into puzzlement. That must be his girlfriend. Was I hurt? Or was I happy for him?

I wanted to turn and avoid them, but he saw me. He called to me even. "Mitsuru!" He approached me bringing the girl along with him. "Mistsuru, this is my girl friend, Minako. This is Mitsuru." He introduced.

The girl smiled at me sweetly. "It's very nice to meet you Mitsuru." she held out her hand to me and me? Well I stared at her hand. The very same hands that had held Akihiko's hands.

There was no use just staring at her blankly, so I took her hand and shook it with a forced smile plastered on my face.

"Come on." He tugged on her hand lightly and wanted to pull her away, but she stood ground.

"Wait, I want to hang with Mitsuru." She stated letting her hand loose.

I was surprised she wanted to hang with me. Maybe it was part of some ulterior motive just so she could get on my nerves.

I shook my head. "It's okay if you leave me here. Yukari will arrive any minute."

She pushed Akihiko away and he had nothing more to do but obey his "girlfriend". Once he was out of sight, Minako turned to me with the sweetest of smiles. Even her eyes seem to light up. "It's fine if I hang around you right? I don't know if I can remember every single name of the people Aki will introduce to me."

Aki. She called him Aki. A nickname that only Shinji can conjure up and she said it with ease. "So it seems." I replied a little too coldly. But she didn't falter. She stuck with me all through the day until lunch break. She and Akihiko went to a nearby restaurant to grab something to eat and I went to cafe a few blocks from our premises. I never hung around them after that, but Minako gave me a smile whenever our eyes met. She made me feel sorta guilty for no apparent reason.

_"So... he has a girlfriend."_ Yukari said when the seminar was finally over and we had time for ourselves.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess so."

"Are you okay with that?" She asked me concern present in her eyes.

"It's his choice. If he loves her that much, then I can't do anything about it." I replied bending my head down and distracted myself with a pile of papers placed on top of the table in front of me. It wasn't my work, but I decided to just go through it since no one else payed attention because they were all cleaning up for the day. "Besides, I can't hate Minako." I looked up at Yukari sadly. "She's so nice and sweet. I know that she can take care of Akihiko. The worst part is though, I don't know how to react."

"It's okay if you cry." She suggested putting a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to that hand and took it off.

"That's the problem. I can't" I pointed out. "I think I'll take these to the office of the chairman. He has some papers in here to sign." I told her before taking the stack of papers in my hand and headed directly to the hallway where the office was located. The hall was quiet and the only sound made was the echo of my footsteps as I neared my destination.

I placed the stack of papers on the chairman's desk neatly and turned around to go back. On my way back I heard a few grumbling sounds and heavy breathing inside one of the rooms in the hall. I know I shouldn't ponder more on this, but my curiosity got the best of me. My legs moved by themselves and my hand reached out to the knob and turned it. To my surprise it wasn't locked. I opened the door slightly and peered inside.

What I saw made my heart sink faster than the titanic. It was Akihiko and Minako. On the desk. They were moving in some sort of synchronization that I can't make out. It was then when I heard the two of them moan and when I saw Minako's blouse unbuttoned and Akihiko's pants lying on the floor that I knew what was going on.

I shut the door quickly and exited the place. I figured they were intimate, but I didn't know that they were "that" intimate. I could no longer hold it in. I burst into tears just as the sun came setting down. I was just far too late already. I can never turn back time anymore and I now all the regret had piled up inside of me.

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><p><strong>That's it! Don't forget to review! Just click the button below...<strong>


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